the designer

founder + designer

Stephanie’s passion for clothing design began at a young age. During her early years, she spent her time designing and creating custom garments for family and friends.

In August 2008, she was selected as one of the two up and coming designers to premiere a collection at The Heart House Annual Charity Fashion Show in Austin, Texas where she showcased fifteen ensembles made by hand, one of which was donated to the charity for auction. The event contributed to the raising of $80,000, which was used to support the expansion of the charity’s after school programs.

During her time as a student, Stephanie worked as a teaching assistant for the University of North Texas’ Fashion Design program, assisting professors and mentoring students. In 2009, she earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design with a minor in Fashion Merchandising. At Dallas Career Day 2009, Stephanie was selected by a panel of judges from over 2,500 applicants and was awarded the Texas Department of Agriculture Fiber Research Scholarship. As the recipient of this prestigious award, Stephanie attended the Paris American Academy School of Fashion Design, where she learned complex haute couture sewing techniques from apprentices of the famous Madame Grés and practiced millinery techniques alongside Jean Paul Gaultier’s hat maker, Jean-Pierre Tritz. During her time in Paris, Stephanie assisted designers Elie Saab and Dominique Sirop at Paris Fashion Week.

After returning to the United States, Stephanie worked as an Assistant Designer at the White House/ Black Market headquarters in Fort Myers, Florida. A few years later, she joined the Abi Ferrin, Inc. design and production team based out of Dallas, Texas.

Having honed her skills and perfected her practice, Stephanie returned to Austin, Texas to launch her clothing line in 2013. Stephanie is partnered with her husband, an attorney by trade, who advises the company on a myriad of issues bringing his legal and business knowledge to the brand. Since launching her line, Stephanie has been actively involved in the Austin and Texas fashion community, participating in Austin Fashion Week, Fashion X Dallas, Created Woman Fashion & Faith Magazine Runway, and collaborating with a number of local designers and artists. In the last two years, the designer has earned incredible praise, winning awards and gaining recognition for her innovation with the use of sustainable textiles, from the likes of Houston’s Contemporary Art Museum (CAMH). In 2015, CAMH, featured her work in its celebrated exhibition “Texas Design Now”.

At s.t.e.f. Stephanie incorporates her education and work experience to develop a unique one-of-a-kind collection that embraces the importance of a fair and ethical supply chain.

"My vision is to not only create a line that is eco-friendly, but also to produce designs that blend sustainability with sophistication.”